Choices
by Truthful nomad
Summary: After living alongside the men of Laketown for a few months now, a mysterious sorcerer gives Thorin a chance to reclaim Erebor, if Thorin agrees to travel to another world for him.
1. Chapter 1

**Yay first chapter! So everyone who hasn't read my first two stories "Plight of the Dwarves" and "In the shadow of erebor", you probably should. Otherwise this one won't make much sense. But just a disclaimer that no, this story is not cannon. It's pretty much my own little world. Also note that updates won't be as quick as the first two due to real world, but I promise not to make you wait too long!**

Spring on the lake was a magical time. The sun chased away the blanket of snow and brought life back to the world around it. Warmth returned to the land, and green replaced white. The lake, once frozen solid in the cold depth of winter, thawed and allowed the inhabitants of Lake-town to be Lakemen once again. Boats and barges were once again a common sight on the water.

This was Kili's first spring on the lake, his first spring in the land that was once his people's homeland. As he and the other young members of the company sat on the banks of the lake, enjoying the return of warmth, he couldn't help but glance out towards the north east where the Lonely Mountain dominated the horizon.

"Maybe we'll catch something today, Brother," said Fili, glancing at the fishing pole he had planted into the ground beside him while he chiseled away at a piece of stone, "Wouldn't that be a treat?"

Kili smiled as he imagined the aroma of fish cooking on the hearth and the sweet taste of a trout seasoned with salt and lemon. It has been a long, hard winter and food was not easy to find. Hunting was scarce and fishing had been impossible with the lake frozen over. And Lake-town was an impoverished place where few people were able to prosper.

"I can hardly recall the taste of fish," Kili replied sadly as he sat to Fili's right and glanced down at the block of wood in his hands, "Or of a nice big roast of mutton complete with some freshly baked bread and some nice brown chips."

"Ahh stop it!" Gimli cried as he sat wedged in between Fili and Ori, managing his own fishing line, "Yer makin me stomach growl!"

"Salted pork with a large mug of ale and fresh cherry pie for dessert," Ori piped up and laughed as Gimli moaned in mock agony.

Kili took a puff of his pipe as he moved the block of wood in his hands as his stomach churned in protest of all the talk of food. It had been a long, hard winter and Kili and his brother had spent most of it cold, hungry, and wounded.

But when his latest injury, a broken leg, had finally healed, Kili had been determined to be useful to the company. He was the youngest (if you don't count the Hobbits) and he resented being cared for by his uncle and the rest of the company as if he were a helpless child.

And in his effort to be useful, Kili had discovered that he had a talent for wood working. He started by fixing the broken table and chairs that had been destroyed in the last Orc attack and he had even improved the wooden bench his uncle used as a bed. He had even managed to carve himself this beautiful pipe. He found that working with the wood was enjoyable, despite the light hearted jives he had to bear from Gimli who thought that Kili's interest in woodworking stemmed from his unusual curiosity about nature and "Elfish nonsense" as he called it.

Fili had developed his talents as well, and found one a little more suited to Dwarves- Stone masonry and stone carving. During the long winter months he and Kili had spent a lot of time alone, trapped in the cabin while Thorin worked in town. In their boredom, the two had taken to improving the small peasant house they had taken residence in… there was a lot of work to be done there. These houses were the remnants of an abandoned farm community that had once belonged to Lake-town. They were long abandoned and had thus suffered from neglect and it didn't help that ever since the company of thirteen Dwarves (fourteen now that Gimli had arrived), three Hobbits, and a Gnome had moved in, the settlement had been subject to frequent Orc attacks. The able Dwarf warriors had easily fended them off, but each attack left their houses in shambles.

So Fili and Kili had taken it upon themselves to handle the repairs for their tiny cabin. Kili had repaired the furniture and wood frames, was forced to keep repairing the door which kept getting demolished- while Fili took to repairing the stone building itself. They both had big ambitions for the other houses and structures in the area.

But that would all come together in time. Right now, Kili was enjoying the warmth of the sun as he enjoyed the company of his closest friends. The four of them fished all day, talking about food and enjoying each other's company.

"I got something!" Gimli exclaimed suddenly, drawing the others from their thoughts. Gimli dropped his pipe and dove for his fishing pole as it was yanked out of the mud by a sudden splash of movement in the water, "I think it's a big one!"

The other three jumped to their feet and stood anxiously by the shore as Gimli wrestled with the line. Kili felt his hungry stomach jolt with anticipation as he caught sight of a fin. A large fin.

"That's the biggest fish I've ever seen!" Ori exclaimed as Gimli fought with his fishing pole.

"Aye!" Gimli exclaimed, "Don't just stand there, help me get it in!"

Fili grabbed his cousin, giving him some support while Kili and Ori yanked on the pole. They worked together and managed to pull the fish to shore. As the four young Dwarves watched, the large catfish flopped about in the grass. It was at least eight feet in length and it had taken the efforts of four sturdy Dwarves to reel in. And it took all of them more effort to wrestle it into their bucket. Kili felt a rush of excitement as he thought of the possibilities of having a full stomach tonight. Bard has said such giants lived in the lake but they were rare and growing rarer due to overfishing in the lake. The Dwarves had struck gold today.

"It'll feed the entire company" Fili exclaimed excitably, beaming proudly at Kili, "Just wait until Uncle sees it!"

"Let's take it to Bombur," Ori suggested, "He'll cook it up for us."

The four of them lugged the giant fish through the maze of stone homes and managed to make it to the home Bombur shared with Bofur and Bifur.

"What do you Lads have here!" Bofur exclaimed when he greeted them at the door and his eyes widened when he saw their massive catch, "By my beard!"

"Can Bombur cook it up for us?" Ori asked, as Bofur helped them get the fish inside. Kili glanced around the small cabin, only slightly bigger than the one he shared with his brother and uncle. Spread across the wooden table was an assortment of wax, oils, wood, and flowers. Bofur had been a toymaker in the Blue Mountains, but in this new settlement, Bofur had expanded his craft to soap making, candy making, and candle making.

Kili also noticed Bifur pucking about near the rear of the cabin. A row of animal skins and furs hung from the ceiling. The axe in Bifur's head had caused some damage and the crazy eyed Dwarf only spoke Khuzdul- and even then, he rarely made sense. But he was still sharp and talented and made his talent as a leathersmith and furrier. Hunting was scarce during the winter, but thanks to Nori's trade missions and a little luck, he was able to acquire enough supplies.

"You're welcomed to ask him," Bofur said, "He's outside."

The quartet of young Dwarves left the fish behind and hurried back outside, easily finding the plump Dwarf behind his cabin, sitting in front of a small fire over which appeared to be large pieces of meat skewered on branches.

"Ahh Lads," Bombur said with a grin, "try this will ye?" he passed each of them a piece of meat. Kili eagerly and hungrily popped his piece into his mouth. The salty taste of barbequed pork filled his mouth and he practically inhaled his small morsel.

"Where'd you get pork?" Fili asked curiously as Bombur busied himself with fixing another piece of meat to the fire.

"Traded it for one of Bifur's furs," Bombur explained proudly, "Those Lakemen should be happy that Dwarf craftsmen such as ourselves have decided to live here. But all they do is complain!"

Kili was all too aware that the Lakemen weren't all happy that they were here. They knew Thorin was the rightful king of Erebor and they were impatient for him to get his kingdom back to its former splendor and to free them from the yoke of the greedy town master. But they didn't understand. They didn't understand that the Dwarves had only one chance to find the keyhole which would have gotten them access into the mountain and that chance had been lost- because of them. Thorin had been in a race to reach the mountain before the last light of Durin's day- but due to his nephews both receiving devastating injuries at the hands of Orcs, he had been forced to abandon his dream of seeing his mountain of gold again in favor of their lives.

So the Lakemen had insisted on making it difficult for the small community of dwarves, and especially for Thorin. Kili and Fili had yet to make a trip to town, which was only a short walk away, but Thorin worked there every day, slaving away on the forge to earn a little gold. And every day, he endured their ridicule.

Kili and Fili's injuries had mostly healed over the past few months that had passed. But every time Kili felt the all too familiar pain in his lung- the pain caused by an Orc's arrow- he also felt a pang of guilt. And he knew his brother felt the same way though neither of them spoke of it allowed.

Ori and Gimli quickly told Bombur about the fish and the cook's face lit up. He eagerly agreed to cook the fish up for everyone.

A number of hours later, Kili found himself surrounded by all the other Dwarves, sitting around a bon fire in the center of their settlement, waiting eagerly as Bombur cut up the now cooked and barbecued catfish.

"I can't believe you caught something like this," Thorin said as he sat in between in nephews on a log in the grass. Kili felt pleased when he heard the approval and pride in his uncle's voice. And Gimli was of course basking in the praise he was receiving from his father Gloin and uncle Oin.

"Ah now that I have you all together," Bilbo said as he stood in the center of the circle of dwarves, "Its about time we prepared for harvest. There's much to be done!"

"Harvest?" the Dwarves mumbled, exchanging confused glances. Kili chuckled in spite of himself as he watched the hobbit struggle to keep the attention of the feasting dwarves. His nephew Frodo and niece Asphodel stood beside him, along with Brenna, the orphaned gnome girl he'd taken in.

Bilbo had been with the company from the beginning, hired as their burglar to steal back the precious arkenstone from Smaug. But his young kin had joined them when they were united with them while in Orc captivity.

"Yes, yes of course," Bilbo said, his voice rising above the chatter of the dwarves.

"Silence!" Thorin roared suddenly, silencing every voice instantly, "let him speak."

Kili glanced at his uncle before turning his attention to the hobbit.

"Harvest time is the most important time in the shire," Bilbo explained, "But in order for it to happen, we have to prepare the soil and we have to plant seeds."

"We're Dwarves," Dwalin said with a look of disgust on his face, "Mighty warriors and craftsmen! not farmers and farm hands!"

"Yes, yes I know you're Dwarves," Bilbo said, "But I'm a hobbit and all Hobbits like growing things. And I'm willing to teach you my skill."

"We can trade for what we need," Gloin said, "We don't want to be rolling in the dirt!"

"You can trade," Bilbo agreed, "but its much better to grow and raise your own. Now I've taken a look at the soil around this settlement and its very rich. We could grow vegetables, grains, maybe even some pipe weed, all we-"

"Did you say pipe weed, Lad?" Bofur interrupted excitably, and instantly the Dwarves seemed all that more interested.

"My people make the best pipe weed in all of Middle Earth," Bilbo said proudly. He knew he had the dwarves attention now, "Now then. We need to plow and till the soil and then plant the seeds. And if we secured the fencing around this area, we could raise livestock."

"And where are you going to get seeds?" Dwalin retorted.

"Ah got is more accurate," Bilbo said, "And I have my ways... now I'd like to begin tomorrow morning, we don't have a lot of time. Think of it. I know how to mill wheat into grain, can and pickle vegetables and fruits and I know how to make cheese and other important things. Don't you think all that food you helped yourselves to at my house came from somewhere? it was all grown right there in the shire. We could have a large harvest and next winter, we'll have enough food to get through. We may even make enough food to sell in town and I'm sure our neighbors in Laketown would appreciate it."

Kili couldn't help but be interested in the idea of having enough food to eat and he recalled the gathering they had had at Bag End. Kili glanced at Thorin again. It would be his decision to make, after all. He was the king. Thorin contemplated it for a moment and finally agreed with a nod.

"Bah!" Dwalin grumbled, but he said no more. Neither of them were looking forward to the next day. And for Kili, it all felt a little sad. All this planning they had been doing meant that they were fixing to stay in the settlement forever.

Kili and Fili both longed for their home in the Blue Mountains, or for their long promised kingdom in Erebor. But both places were unobtainable. The Dwarf settlement in the blue mountains had been massacred by orcs. Erebor was sealed and harbored a sleeping dragon. But at least Erebor was in their sights. The Lonely Mountain dominated the landscape and looking at it still gave Kili hope for the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been very busy with my own original novel and also with real life stuff. And also, I admit to being afflicted with a little writer's block lately. Hopefully it will pass!... Also, sorry for the super short chapter, I want to have their trip to Lake-town be a separate chapter.**

The following day found all fourteen Dwarves armed with plows, shovels, and hoes. Bilbo ran back and forth trying to teach each and every Dwarf how to properly sow and till the fields. The hobbit was not a very patient instructor and the Dwarves were not very patient pupils.

As Fili moved back and forth with his plow, tilling the row of dirt he had been assigned, he couldn't help but laugh as he saw Bilbo throw up his hands in frustration while standing over a very agitated Dwalin who apparently wasn't planting the broccoli seeds far enough apart. Fili could hear Dwalin muttering obscenities under his breath and thought it was good that Bilbo didn't understand Khuzdul.

"I explained it three times!" Bilbo exclaimed, exasperated, and as he looked around, he caught sight of Gloin and rushed over, "Gloin, no! no, you're supposed to be planting the onions!"

"Aye thats what I'm doing!" Gloin responded as he squinted up at the hobbit while kneeling in the dirt.

"No those are carrot seeds!" Bilbo was beside himself as he moved from Dwarf to Dwarf trying to get them to cooperate. Even Thorin was a target as he had been reprimanded earlier for plowing the wrong field.

Fili glanced over his shoulder at Kili who was carefully dropping his own seeds into the ground. The two brothers grinned mischieviously and kept to themselves the fact that the reason Gloin had the wrong seeds was no accident.

Of course the only ones that Bilbo had not reprimanded for their farming techniques were his own Fili glanced around, he saw Frodo and Asphodel, Bilbo's neice and nephew, happily tilling their own part of the fields.

Even Bard and the elves were in on the act today. Fili saw the incredibly tall human and two nimble elves hard at work on their own hobbit assigned plot of land. Fili felt bad for Bard and his children. He was living in one of the cabins alongside the Dwarves after an altercation with the greedy laketown master had gotten him kicked out of town.

But it seemed Bard had made the most of it. It seemed many of the men of Lake-town were used to adversity. And Bard's three children had become quick friends with all the Dwarves. In fact, even now, while everyone plowed and planted in the fields, Bard's son and two daughters were clustered around Balin who had found a nice spot of shade under a tree and was telling them legends and tales of the Dwarves. Tales that Fili and Kili grew on themselves. Fili hoped that the young humans were as enthusiastic about Dwarf tales and history as he had been in his youth.

"Ah there you are," Fili glanced over to see Brenna standing in front of him with her arms crossed around her shoulders.

The young gnome's beautiful honey hair flowed about her in the wind as did the fabric of her simple green dress. Fili caught the scent of lilac and lavender about her.

"Can I help you with anything, Milady?" Fili asked politely, as he held his plow in his hands.

"Master Bilbo has a meeting with a few merchants in town," Brenna said, "And your king is meeting with an acquaintance of Bard's. Asphodel and I would like to take the opportunity to explore the sunday market."

Fili glanced around and his eyes landed on Thorin who was standing a few yards away, discussing something with Bard, Legolas, and Tauriel. Fili hadn't heard of any meetings, but he didn't doubt it. His uncle was a king, after all, diplomacy was part of his job.

Fili smiled slyly before responding to Brenna, "Would you like me to accompany you?" he asked, "For protection perhaps? I hear the men of Lake-town can be quite pushy at times."

"And what, pray tell, would I need your protection for?" Brenna demanded, glaring at him, "Do you think I am some helpless maiden who cannot fend for herself?"

Fili chuckled a little, letting her know he was only teasing her. He knew she could handle herself, he had seen her fight in the orc attacks they had had. But he found her strong willed nature and witty attitude intriguing and oddly alluring. He had never met a gnome before and he had not known Brenna for very long, so he wondered if her brash, brazen tongue were an inherent Gnome trait.

Brenna had told him once that her people were artisans and she and her parents were all skilled clothiers and tailors. They were not warriors or soldiers. They resembled hobbits with their short stature. But as Brenna was any proof, the Gnomes were remarkably strong and hearty. Not unlike Dwarves. Brenna had also mentioned that her people came from the far north where the summers were short and ice and snow were abundant. Fili imagined that weak gnomes wouldn't last long in that kind of environment.

"I will come with you," he told her, "And I'm sure my brother will want to come as well. We haven't had the chance to visit Lake-town yet."

"Very well, meet us by the lake in an hour," she said, "And don't be late," And with that, Brenna turned abruptly and hurried away.

**Again sorry its so short, I promise the next chapter will be more exciting!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Now for some fun times in Lake-town!**

Kili had seen many cities and villages of men before, but none quite like this. He gazed around at the floating town as he, Fili, Asphodel, and Brenna wandered around the small but bustling market.

They had rowed into town on Bard's barge, and after dropping the young ones off with a little gold and some instructions on what to buy; Bilbo, Thorin, Bard, and the Elves had continued on to another part of town to attend the meetings they were there for.

"It is not as large as the markets in Ered Luin," said Fili as he moved to examine a table full of fresh fish, "I hope we'll find what we need."

And indeed, there were only a few dozen merchants, spread out around the market area, selling their goods on wooden tables or on carpets. Fish, a small amount of seasonal produce and grain, and perhaps some artistans selling a variety of crafts.

"Oh but look!" Brenna exclaimed, hurrying over to a table upon which were stacks of beautifully woven fabric, and beside it were some spinning wheels and looms, "What beautiful patterns. And if I could acquire one of these spinning wheels and looms, I could create such beautiful tunics and gowns and blankets."

"We haven't much gold to spend," Fili warned her, pulling out the leather pouch full of gold coins that Thorin had given him earlier, "And we have to get what Bilbo and Thorin requested of us first."

Kili watched as the gnome turned to his brother with a scowl on her face and her hands on her hips, "Well it would be a fine investments if I got one of these spinning wheels," she said, "The way you Dwarves care for your garments is quite appalling and it would do you some good to have some nice tailored garments for a change."

Fili looked down at his garment and over at Kili and Kili had to smile to himself at his brother. Brenna continued to scold him about his poor tastes in fashion until eventually, they left the stall, Brenna smiling in satisfaction while Fili hauled a large roll of green fabric and Brenna's new spinning wheel along with them.

Kili smiled at the thought of his big brother being coerced by this gnome woman who barely came up to his shoulders, but had a tongue even more forceful and witty than even their mother. Gnomes truly seemed to be formidable creatures, despite their small size.

Hobbits, on the other hand. Kili glanced over and saw Asphodel examining a table upon which were jars full of spices. The large, pudgy merchant behind the table got to his feet immediately when he saw her and the lewd expression on his face made Kili feel disgusted.

"Well ain't you a tiny lass," The merchant said with a large grin, "What's yer pleasure, Girlie?"

"Oh I'm just looking," Asphodel said politely as Kili came over to stand beside her. The merchant seemed not to notice him and kept his attention on Asphodel.

"I ain't never seen such a tiny wench before, and ye look as sweet as honey." He said as he moved around the table to stand in front of her.

"I'm a hobbit," Asphodel explained, glancing up at him, obviously trying to ignore his suggestive tone, "Tell me do you have any nutmeg or cinnamon?"

"Aye," the merchant said, grabbing a jar full of nutmeg and one of cinnamon, and then holding them out of her reach, "Ye know there ain't any spices grown around these parts. Do you know what trouble I've had getting these spices here from all corners of middle earth?"

"I'm sure it was quite an effort," Asphodel said, "How much shall I pay you for them?"

"Oh they are worth much more than gold," the merchant said with a wink, "But maybe a little beauty like yerself might be able to pay me quite well for them. There aren't too many lovely ladies such as yerself around these parts ye know."

Asphodel looked horrified at the lewd suggestions, "No thank you," she said firmly, "I'll go without."

"Oh come on, Girlie," the merchant said, reaching to grab her by the wrist as she tried to move away.

"Leave her alone," Kili warned, causing the merchant to turn his attention to him for the first time.

"A Dwarf," the merchant said mockingly as he gripped Asphodel's wrist tighter, causing her to squirm uncomfortably, "Is she yer wench, Boy? And what will ye do to stop me?"

"Just let me go," Asphodel pleaded, trying to pull free of the merchants grasp.

It was fortunate that Thorin and Dwalin had taught Kili well. He would never leave his dwelling without being armed. But as he was about to reach for his sword, which was carefully concealed under his cloak, he remembered that the master- fearful of rebellions- had banned weapons. So instead, he shot forward, quickly and suddenly, and shoved the merchant hard in his chest, forcing him to release Asphodel as he toppled over the table, and into the ground beneath him, and taking half of his spice jars with him.

Clearly, the merchant had underestimated Dwarves. A look of surprise crossed his face, as he glared up from the ground. He didn't realize these short, stout creatures were so strong. Asphodel giggled as she and Kili moved away from the stall, leaving the angry merchant in their wake.

"Are you alright?" Kili asked as they continued on their way, browsing the rest of the market stalls at their leisure.

"Yes," Asphodel said with a smile, "Uncle Bilbo warned me that there were some unsavory characters in town. But I guess I didn't believe him. Its not like this in the Shire."

"Poverty makes people angry," Kili explained, "I saw a lot of it in the Blue Mountains, though not as bad as here. Mostly men like that are all talk."

"I suppose I am not used to such things," Asphodel responded as they walked, "Folk in the shire are quite kind and there has never been any need for hostility there."

Kili felt saddened when he heard the longing in her voice as she mentioned the shire for the second time. He knew from his adventuring with Bilbo that hobbits were very attached to their homes and to the shire. He glanced over at her and couldn't help but see that look in her pretty green eyes. He'd seen that look before. That far away look that Bilbo always wore when he spoke of the shire, or the look of longing Thorin wore when he spoke of Erebor.

"I have been to visit the shire before, it was a beautiful place," Kili told her, "You must miss it very much."

Asphodel was quiet for a moment and Kili turned to look at her. She stopped walking and stared at him, eyes big with emotion, "It was the only thing that kept me alive when I was in orc captivity," she said softly as her brilliant red hair flew about her in the wind, "The orcs were terrible about their torture, you know."

"I know," Kili said with a wince as he recalled how he and his brother suffered while they were prisoners of the orcs. He moved forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "You'll see the shire again," he assured her, "Don't give up."

"I know you want to see your home too," she said. Kili smiled sadly as he thought about that. What was home for him? He thought fondly of the Blue Mountains where he and Fili had been born and had grown up in peace. But Thorin and Dis and the other Dwarves never felt that they could call the Blue Mountains home and they had made it clear to Kili and Fili that the blue mountains were a home in exile and that they could never truly belong there. There was only one home for them and it seemed so unobtainable.

Kili realized then that he had something in common with this young hobbit. They were both exiles and they both longed for a home, a place where they could belong. Somehow, that made him feel close to her. He walked beside her as the two continued to browse through the market, and found he greatly enjoyed her company.

The two reconnected with Fili and Brenna a while later and it was late afternoon by the time they managed to acquire everything they were told to get. Some fish, flour, some cheese, and a few other essentials. And as the four of them wandered leisurely through the streets of Lake-town, they passed by a small alley and Kili turned when he heard a voice on the air. It was faint and he almost missed it, but he stopped and strained to listen.

"Dwarf," Kili glanced around for the source of that voice.

"What is it, Brother?" Fili asked, puzzled when Kili suddenly stopped walking.

"I heard something," Kili responded, glancing all around. The men of the lake wandered about them, but generally ignored them. Some clamored passed them on the wooden streets and walkways, others floated by on barges and small vessels through the waterways that wove through town.

"Young Dwarves…" Came the voice again, this time Fili glanced around as well.

"There," Brenna pointed towards an alley and Kili caught sight of a shadowy figure lurking about among the piles of garbage that littered the narrow alley way. Fili gave Kili a doubtful look, but Kili allowed his curiosity to get the better of him.

Before his brother could urge him caution, Kili slowly maneuvered his way down the alleyway, carefully stepping over the smelly piles of uneaten food and discarded trash to make his way towards the rear of the alley.

"Are you kin to the king under the mountain?" came a dark voice. Kili turned to find a cloaked figure nestled on top of a few wooden crates stacked up against the wall of the building. He was covered from head to toe in black, his face masked by a black scarf, leaving only his cold, dark eyes showing.

"Who wants to know?" Fili demanded, drawing his swords and moving to stand in front of the cloaked man.

"I am a friend," the man said, "A friend to the king of carven stone."

"What kind of friend?" Kili asked wearily. That deep voice struck fear within him.

"A very powerful friend," the man said, "One who has slain dragons."

That caught the attention of the two Dwarves. They exchanged hopeful glances while Brenna and Asphodel kept their looks of skepticism.

"If you have so much power then why haven't you used it by now?" Brenna demanded hotly, her hands on her hips, not at all intimidated by the dark figure.

"I require something in return," the man said, "There are those in this town who are troubled by the arrival of the king under the mountain… they hope he will deliver them from their toil and reclaim the mountain. They long for gold to flow from Erebor once more. They don't know why he has done nothing."

"We've heard," Fili said, "But the Mountain belongs to the Dwarves, its no concern of Men what we do with our own kingdom."

"I know the real reason for your inaction," the man continued, ignoring Fili, "You cannot get in."

Kili exchanged puzzled glances with his brother again. How did this man know so much about them? Thorin had not mentioned any knowledge of this man.

"How much is Erebor worth to you?" The man asked again, "I am willing to aid you if you would but retrieve a few simple items for me."

"Items?" Kili asked, feeling more intrigued, despite the look of caution Fili gave him, "What do you need?"

"A device," the man explained, "A powerful device that exists in another world. I can send you there and back if you will agree to retrieve it for me."

"If you can open this portal, then why not go get this item yourself?" Fili asked, "Why do you need us?"

"It is a matter of payment, Master Dwarf," the man said, "Killing a dragon and breaking through a sealed, enchanted door is no easy task, and I would demand to be compensated for my services."

"We didn't ask you to aid us," Fili said, "We don't need your help, we'll find another way."

"Fili…" Kili urged hopefully. It seemed too good to be true to him. This man was offering to help them achieve what they were unable to achieve on their own, why couldn't his brother see that?

"I don't trust him, Kili," Fili explained, pulling his brother aside, "He hides in alleys and gives vague promises… we should go find uncle and return to the settlement."

Kili sighed. His brother was right. They didn't know this man. He was very suspicious. But at the same time… he felt strongly that this was their only chance. They'd been living here in this settlement for months without much hope. They had struggled with hunger, poverty, pain, greif, and despair and now it seemed there was a man who was willing to make their greatest dream come true.

"You will find no other way in," the figure warned, as if sensing Kili's thoughts, "I am a powerful sorcerer and I am willing to aid you… and my price is small. You only need go to this other realm and retrieve my item for me. I would not take my offer so lightly, unless you wish to spend the rest of your lives on that miserable settlement, plagued by orcs and famine."

Kili winced when he thought about living forever in the settlement. He feared that it was only a matter of time before the orcs hurt someone he cared about. It wasn't something he felt he could bare and he knew Thorin was suffering inwardly at having to make a living here, in the shadow of his mountain home.

"Please, Fili…" he pleaded, looking at his brother longingly. Fili studied him for a moment and Kili was convinced he would agree, but then…

"No, Kili," he said firmly, "It's a bad idea. Come on, Uncle will be waiting for us."

"He's right, the man is trying to pull one over on us," Brenna said. Kili sighed and tried hard not to look devastated as Fili told the man they would not accept his offer.

They left the alley then. Kili trailed behind Fili and Brenna, feeling as if their only chance was slipping away.

"I'm sorry…" said Asphodel gently from beside him, "I'm sure we'll find another way."

"I don't know if we will…" Kili responded, "He said he was a sorcerer… I've never met one but I have met a wizard and they are very powerful…"

Asphodel didn't say any more after that. It was then that Kili made up his mind. He had to do this. He knew he had to give this a shot. Fili and Thorin would understand when they were standing inside Erebor.

So he enjoyed the rest of the evening. They reunited with Thorin and the others later and Bard treated the Dwarves to dinner at one of the taverns.

"I would have liked to have seen your forge while we were here, Uncle," Fili said as they enjoyed a hardy stew, some ale and poor quality pipe weed.

"You will, perhaps later," Thorin responded as he listened to Bilbo go over the highlights of his day meeting with some merchants.

"I arranged for the merchants to deliver a few animals to the settlement tomorrow," Bilbo was saying, cheerfully. This lowered Thorin's mood considerably.

"A cow, a few hogs, some chickens and some sheep," Bilbo continued, "Not much but its a start."

"First you want us to muck around in the dirt and now you want us to be ranch hands?" Thorin glowered, "We're Dwarves."

"Yes, yes, I've heard enough of that," Bilbo responded, waving him off with a hand, "You're Dwarves and I am a Hobbit. Hobbits are farmers and I think its only fair that if we are going to be living here, we be allowed to be Hobbits."

Kili smiled warmly at Asphodel who seemed excited about the idea of having animals on their land. Brenna was satisfied with the spinning wheel and fabric she had coerced Fili into purchasing and when Bilbo and Thorin questioned her on the spending of the gold, she was quick to use Bilbo's argument against him.

"Well if you are going to be Hobbits, then you best allow me to be a gnome," she retorted, "Gnomes are artisans and my parents were the best clothiers in all of the north."

Bilbo was quickly defeated and said no more on that argument. And as Thorin engaged in conversation with the elves and Bard about their earlier meeting, a topic that looked like it was going to take awhile, Kili seized his opportunity.

"Uncle, I need to step out side for a moment," he announced, "I need a breath of fresh air."

"Yes, yes," Thorin agreed before continuing his argument with Legolas over whether Dwarves are more adept at diplomacy than elves.

"Need company, Brother?" Fili asked suspiciously. Kili shook his head. He knew Fili was skilled at reading him and hoped he'd be able to elude him on this. He quickly turned his gaze away from his brother and hurried outside.

The night air was crisp as he hurried through the streets, as fast as he could, trying to remember what alley they had met the figure in. Moments passed and he worried that he'd lost his chance when suddenly, the man appeared before him, dropping suddenly from a roof top. The man quickly ducked into an alley and motioned Kili to join him.

"What do we have to do?" Kili asked, "What is the item we must find for you?"

"I take it you've had a chance to reconsider," the sorcerer said.

"Yes…" Kili said, feeling an anxious knot forming in the pit of his stomach. He'd been so focused on this and now he was worried he was making the right decision. He would never dream of defying his brother or uncle like this, not unless he felt it was very important. "Just… no one will get hurt will they?"

"Oh of course not!" The sorcerer said, bewildered at the thought. Kili questioned his sincerity, but pushed the thought away. This was for Thorin, he reminded himself. This was how he could make up for costing his uncle his mountain.

"The item is located in another realm, as I said," the sorcerer said, "I will send you there and I will provide you with clues as to its location, so you must pay close attention while you are there. Get the item, and bring it back to me. Then I will kill the dragon for you."

"Okay, I'm ready," Kili said, confidently. The sorcerer pulled out what looked like a wand and began chanting. Kili suddenly felt a rush of wind funnel past him and through him as the man chanted.

Eventually, the chanting stopped and the sorcerer looked satisfied, "The spell is complete. The portal will take you to the other world," he assured Kili, "It will take a few hours to open, you may return to your settlement for now."

Kili didn't feel any different. He looked around. Nothing. He suddenly felt very foolish as he realized he may have been schemed. He turned his gaze back to the sorcerer- only to find he had vanished. Kili was alone in the alley.

Kili waited for a few minutes, hopeful, but his hope diminished when he heard Fili's voice.

"Kili!" his brother called from a distance. With one last glance, Kili, feeling defeated and foolish, hurried off to rejoin his brother.

**Hehe, hope you like it! Oh, Kili...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hehe, Dwarves in San Francisco! This chapter was both fun and very challenging to write so I hope I didn't confuse anyone. And I suspect the rest of the story will be as well. It's hard to think of everyday things of the modern world and how the Dwarves would perceive it all. I actually wouldn't mind a little help on this one. If anyone would like to lend me their brain, PM me..**

The first thing Thorin was aware of when he began to regain his senses was the smell. The unpleasant smell of decay and rot. With his eyes closed, that was all he could sense for now. Then, as consciousness began to return, he was aware of the chill in the air, the damp, moist chill.

"What…" he started. He dared to take the next step and open his eyes. Darkness all around him.

"Easy," Came a familiar voice. Bard. Slowly, with the help of Bard and Legolas, the king sat up and looked around. It was dark, but there were lights all around them. They seemed to be in a world of stone. The ground itself was hardened with smooth, black stone.

"What happened?" Thorin asked wearily as he got to his feet, shaking the disorientation from his head. He remembered them heading back from Lake-town. They were on the barge, nearly to the settlement, when suddenly, Thorin had been overcome with dizziness… and then the world had gone black, "I must have lost consciousness somehow…"

But why? he hadn't recalled being injured or feeling ill.

"Uncle…" Thorin turned to see Fili, Kili, Brenna, and Asphodel all slowly getting to their feet.

"Are you alright?" Thorin asked, glancing at his nephews while Bard, Bilbo, Legolas, and Tauriel all began to recover themselves.

"Yeah…" Fili responded, "Where are we?"

"In another world!" Kili said from beside him, "It worked! he wasn-" Kili cut himself off as he realized he had just given himself away. He turned and looked sheepishly over at Thorin who furrowed his brow as he waited for an explanation.

"He said he would help us kill the dragon and get into Erebor…" Kili said slowly, shrinking a little under his uncle's suspicious gaze.

"Kili!" Fili came over to them, "I told you not to talk to that man!"

"Would someone please explain to me what is going on here?" Bilbo demanded as he stood beside Thorin, "Where in the world are we!"

"There was a man in town," Fili explained, "He said he was a powerful sorcerer that could help us reclaim Erebor. He wanted us to get him some kind of device from another world in exchange for helping us… I told him no."

Thorin sighed as he looked at his youngest nephew. Kili returned his gaze with a sad, remorseful look,

"It just seemed like our only chance," he said, "The quest failed because of us… I just wanted to help."

Thorin's felt the anger rise up in him at knowing his nephew had been so easily duped. But that anger faded away quickly as Kili gave him that sheepish, regretful look he had seen so many times in the past when Kili had been caught up to no good.

"Let's just… find our way home…" was all he could think of to say. He turned to glance around at their surroundings. They were in some kind of alleyway.

"None of this place is familiar to me," Bard was saying as he started to talk towards the opened end of the alley. Thorin motioned to the others who followed close behind the bargeman.

Thorin gasped as he gazed around at the sights. It was a world of stone and slate. Strange rectangular buildings lined this black path and were as tall as the tallest tree he had ever seen, blocking off large portions of the night sky. And though it was night, the area was well illuminated by strange metal lamps that beamed light upon them from far above.

"Strange world…" Legolas said, "What kind of beings could live here?"

The nine of them continued to walk down the black road. It was lined by rows of strange contraptions Thorin had never seen before. He approached one, cautiously. It had large wheels and resembled some kind of wagon encased in sleek red metal steel. He poked at it, peered into its small glass windows, and pulled at the metal doors.

Thorin was startled as the metal beast suddenly came to life at his touch and began to emit a loud, high pitched squeal. It shot out beams of light from both ends as the loud noise continued over and over.

Asphodel screamed in fear and covered her ears as Thorin and the others whipped out their blades. Afraid this metal beast would surely attack them, Thorin slammed his blade on it, but fell back as his blade clanked against the steel beast, causing only a small dent but doing no damage at all.

"Hey!" a tall figure came running out of one of the stone buildings, "What are you doing to my car! If you put a scratch in my car, you'll pay for it-!" the man cut himself off when he saw Thorin and the others close up.

Thorin quickly sheathed his sword while regarding the man. And as far as Thorin could see, he was a man. He wore strange clothing and had short cropped hair, but other than that, looked just like any man from Lake-town. Thorin was surprised, he figured this strange place would be occupied by equally strange creatures.

"Did you people get lost on your way to your dungeons and dragons convention or something?" the man asked, looked at each of them closely, "You are all dressed like freaks."

"Where are we?" Bard asked, stepping forward to address the man, "Is this a village of men?"

"Um this is San Francisco." the guy said, raising an eyebrow, "Look if you are tourists or something, Union Square is that way," he said, pointing, "And stay away from my car."

With that the man silenced his steel beast and hurried back the way he came. Thorin glanced at Bard. He felt confused and frustrated. He had been to many parts of Middle Earth but they were all somewhat familiar to him. Here, he felt lost.

They continued to walk. Where they were walking, they didn't know. Somewhere along this black path.

And then they turned the corner and out onto a much wider black path. And as Thorin, leading them along, stepped, he heard Fili suddenly scream out for him and felt Bard and Legolas pull him back just as another steel beast came barreling at them.

Thorin was thrown onto the side path by bard and narrowly avoided being struck by the creature as it zoomed past them.

More people walked about on the sidewalks that lined the black stoned streets as Bard helped Thorin back to his feet.

"We must figure out how to survive in this world," Bard said as they walked. He glanced over at Fili and Kili who walked quietly behind Thorin, Kili keeping his head down, "Tell me what that man told you."

"He said he wanted us to retrieve an item for him," Fili said, "He didn't tell us what it was, only that it would be payment for him helping us get into Erebor."

"He said he would leave clues in this world for us to find," Kili said softly, lifting his head only slightly and trying to avoid his uncle's gaze, "that we would know them when we saw them…"

"That's not very helpful," Bard said sharply, rolling his eyes a bit, "This is a strange and possibly dangerous world and we have no way of getting back."

Kili hung his head in shame and embarrassment. They walked in silence along the sidewalk while more of the steel creatures sped back and forth in the streets, none of them really taking note of them. More men and women walked about on the streets with them, some glanced in their direction, but mostly ignoring them.

"So cold…" Asphodel shivered as she and Brenna and Bilbo walked along with them. And indeed it was very chilly, the air was moist and thick with fog. It was still night but the world around them was well lit by all these strange street lamps.

"We must find shelter," Legolas said as he and Tauriel walked, "We can assess our situation better in the morning."

"What do you suppose is down there?" Tauriel asked, pointing down what appeared to be a staircase leading down into a white illuminated tunnel.

"We'll look," Legolas said, pulling out a blade, and glancing at Bard who nodded. The two elves disappeared down the underground tunnel while Thorin and the others waited.

Moments later, the elves returned, "It is adequate shelter for now," Legolas said. He and Tauriel led them down. It seemed to be a large cave made of stone and concrete. It extended some 50 feet or so underground before being cut off by a large gate beyond which it was dark and Thorin could see very little.

"We are not alone down here," Tauriel warned and as Thorin glanced around, he saw lumps huddled in corners or sprawled out along the walls. Sleeping men, it appeared. None of them took any note of them. Thorin gathered that they were most likely homeless men. He has seen many in the streets of Lake-town, huddled in alleys and in corners. So it appeared poverty was alive in this world as well. Which meant that some kind of barter system must exist here as well.

They found a corner of their own against the metal gate. The air smelled foul and Thorin could see rodents moving about in the depth of the cave beyond the metal gate. Garbage littered the hard stone floor, paper cups, tin cans, and papers. Thorin watched as Kili slumped down against the wall.

"Don't worry, we'll get out of this," Fili said, trying to reassure his brother, "If there is a way here, they must be a way home."

"I'm sorry…" Kili said softly, "I'm such a fool…" Thorin sighed as he watched them. He hoped that Fili would be right but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to be too comforted by his nephew's reassurances to his guilt-wracked brother.

"Get some sleep," he told them both as Fili sat down beside his brother, the two of them curling against one another for warmth.

"Tauriel and I will take watch," Legolas said, "Will you relieve us in a few hours?"

"Yes," Thorin agreed, then turned to Bard, "We must discover what these men might use to barter with."

"Agreed," Bard said.

"It's not very comfortable, this stone," Bilbo said as Asphodel and Brenna lay down near Fili and Kili, "I think it'll be a little hard to get some sleep."

"I am sure you can manage, Master Baggins," Thorin said as he glanced once more at his nephews before laying down on the ground himself, "You should be accustomed to sleeping in caves by now."

Bilbo sighed and groaned in disapproval. But he eventually found a spot and lay down. Thorin found it hard to sleep. Not only was the ground hard and the air cold and foul smelling, but he couldn't help but worry about what they would find in this strange world. _Oh Kili…_ he thought to himself. How on Earth were they going to get out of this one?

**In case you need a translation, the steel beasts are cars, the black stone is asphalt, and the stone cave is the subway tunnel. Hehe.**


	5. Chapter 5

Asphodel's stomach roused her from what little sleep she managed to get that night. She awoke in a strange place and at first, she panicked. Shooting straight up and looking around at her surroundings, she remembered.

Tall, towering humans in strange clothing filed passed her and as she turned, she saw that the iron gate that had been there before had been lifted, the stone cave was aglow with light. Humans walked to and fro, not even taking note of the strange group of Little Folk all huddled in the corner together.

Of course other homeless Humans gathered in corners as well, waking up for the day. No one paid them any heed either.

"Ah, you're awake," said Bilbo as he got up from where he sat nearby, "How did you sleep? not well I imagine."

"No…" Asphodel confirmed, getting to her feet and looking at her uncle, "I hope Frodo is alright."

Asphodel thought of her brother. She wondered if he knew they were missing. They had left him to supervise the dwarves while they went to Lake-town and now he was alone with them. She was certain that the Dwarves were beside themselves with worry for their kin as well.

"I'm sure he is" Bilbo said assuringly, "Dwalin and the others will look out for him."

"Master Bard and the elves went out into the streets to see about getting some gold," Bilbo explained, "They'll be back shortly. Come on, let's see about breakfast, shall we? It's nearly time for second breakfast now though."

"Oh, I'll come," said Brenna as she got to her feet, "I'd like to see where this tunnel leads."

"Should we take a weapon?" Asphodel asked before realizing she didn't have one. What would a hobbit need with a weapon, after all?

"I have Sting," Bilbo said, holding up his elfish sword. Asphodel glanced around before Brenna marched over to Fili, who was still snoring and casually reached into his furs and withdrew two small daggers. The Dwarf didn't even stir.

"He has plenty," Brenna said, handing a dagger to Asphodel before tucking the other into her own clothing. Asphodel had to smile at her friend's boldness.

The small sized trio began walking into the tunnel, following the people that towered above them. Their size incurred curious glances, but little more as the people of San Francisco hurried along in the morning rush hour.

"There is a sign," Brenna announced, pointing high above the wall, "There." Asphodel glanced up and sure enough, there was a sign that read "Powell Station".

"I wonder what Powell is," Bilbo said, "Perhaps a location."

Then they arrived at the turnstiles of the subway stations. Crowds of people swarmed around them busily. Asphodel felt concerned about being trampled as people to and fro. She felt Bilbo grab her arm as they waded through the crowd until they came to a large opening into what appeared to be some kind of market, also encased in stone.

"Ah, excuse me," Bilbo said, walking up to a tall man dressed in blue and black who stood in front of the opening, "Would you tell me, what is this place?"

The man gave them a curious look, "What are you, Midgets?" he asked, looking down at them, "You are shorter than my kid. And what is wrong with your ears? Some kind of new fashion trend?"

"What we are is beside the point," Bilbo said, "if you please, we are a bit lost."

"Well you are at the Powell Street Muni station, you can catch bart here too," the man explained, "And this is the entrance to the westfield shopping center."

"Ah so it is a market then," Asphodel said from beside him, glancing at Brenna, "Where can we get something to eat?"

"Ah you just have to go straight and you will get to the food court… you sound like you are from the England or something."

"Yes, yes, England," Bilbo said, wondering what a England was, "Very good, Master Human."

The man gave him a strange look but said no more. The three of them entered this vast underground market.

Kili awoke to the feeling of hands and fingers poking and prodding at him. They danced around his jerkin and tunic, quickly.

"Mmm…" Kili grumbled, lazily trying to swat the fingers away. They kept prodding him and then he heard Fili.

"Hey!" Fili exclaimed, causing Kili to jolt up. The Human in front of him froze, his hands still holding onto Kili's jerkin. Kili winced as he caught the foul smell in the air and the Human was wearing torn clothing and long matted hair. His beard was matted and tangled.

"Give me money," he croaked, "Money!"

"Get away!" Kili shouted, shoving him away. His movements startled Thorin who was immediately on his feet.

"I need money!" the man continued to croak, turning to Thorin and holding out his hand.

"We don't have anything," Thorin told him, firmly, "Leave us."

The man repeated his demands over and over and it was clear to Kili that he wasn't completely sound. He was making about as much sense as Bifur.

Kili got to his feet as Fili began to look around.

"Where are the Hobbits?" Fili asked and Kili looked around again. Sure enough, Bilbo and the girls were no where to be seen.

"Look, the gate has opened," Kili proclaimed, while Thorin kept trying to be rid of the strange Human.

"Alright, that's enough!" Kili whirled as two humans dressed in strange dark blue shirts and hats walked over to them.

"Gary, go on," one of the man said, gently pulling the crazed man away from Thorin, "Stop harassing these… Little People."

"We aren't little," Kili said, angrily as Gary stumbled away, "we're-"

"Shh!" Fili shushed from beside him, then in khuzdul, "Don't tell them we're Dwarves."

The two humans stared blankly at them, no doubt wondering what language Fili was speaking, before turning back to Thorin.

"Did you get jacked or something?" one of the men said.

"Jacked?" Thorin repeated, confused. Kili exchanged glances with Fili.

"You know, robbed?" the other man said, looking the three of them up and down, his eyes settled on Fili, "Ain't that boy a little young to be so hairy?"

Kili felt Fili tense up beside him and Kili felt a little offended as well. How dare they insult Fili's beard!

"They are not children," Thorin explained, "And yes we were attacked by vagabonds while traveling through this land. We require shelter and sustenance."

"Well those things aren't free," the first man said, "Where are you traveling from?"

The three Dwarves exchanged glances before Thorin replied, "Erebor," he said. The two men gaze him a quizzical stare.

"Where the hell is that?" the man asked. Thorin was just about to respond.

"England!" came a quick response. Kili turned to see Bilbo and the girls walking up to them. All three of them carried white styrofoam boxes.

"Asphodel," Kili said, as the two men exchanged glances at the newcomers and finally walked away, "Where were you?"

"Exploring the market," Asphodel said with a grin as she handed him a box. He took it and opened it curiously- and was delighted by what was inside.

"Food!" Fili exclaimed with delight and Kili felt his stomach growl in anticipation. It had been awhile since they ate last. Inside the box, they found scrambled eggs, toast, ham, and potatoes.

"Now there isn't a whole lot and we must share with Master Bard when he and the others return," Bilbo suggested before Fili and Kili hungrily began to eat. Dwarves didn't like going without food for very long.

"Too bad you couldn't bring us some ale, Mr. Boggins," Fili mumbled, his mouth full of sausage.

"Well we are lucky to have found this," Bilbo said, "They use some strange pieces of paper for currency here and it was hard to get someone to change our gold into this paper."

Bilbo took out the money and the Dwarves looked at it curiously. It was green with images of strange looking Humans on the front.

"They use paper instead of gold?" Thorin mused aloud, as he took a box of food from Balin and bit into a slice of toast, "This is a strange world."

Just then, Bard and the elves walked up.

"We were able to find shelter in this world," Tauriel said, glancing at all of them, "It is not a pleasant place, but it will suffice for now."

"We have gathered some information as well," Bard told them as Thorin and the others followed him back out onto the streets, "This is a city called San Francisco. It seems that human are the only race on this entire world."

That seemed strange to Kili as he and his brother hurried to keep pace with the long legged elves. Kili was used to seeing many different races and creatures, some very strange. To think that there was only one kind of creature in this entire world- and Humans no less… No wonder they were receiving such strange reactions from the people they encountered.

They arrived on a smaller, narrower street, lined with those steel beasts they had encountered before. Kili felt a little uneasy as he moved passed them, fearing they would attack him as he walked by.

"They are called cars," Bard said, "I am told they carry these men across great distances. They are not beasts but carriages encased entirely in steel."

That made Kili feel a little better. He walked in pace with his brother, Brenna and Asphodel until they arrived at a brick building.

"This is the inn we have arranged to stay in," Legolas announced, "It was hard to find someone who would take our gold."

"Ah then you were able to get some of this paper currency as well?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes," Legolas said, "It seems they do not accept anything else here. I do not understand their rules of trade here."

"Legolas offered them some invaluable items from Mirkwood palace," Tauriel added, "Treasures found nowhere else, but all they were interested with this green paper."

With that, they entered the building and walked up a flight of stairs to come to a door, where Bard withdrew a key from his pocket and quickly opened the door.

Kili inhaled the stale air as he looked around the tiny room. There were two small, unkempt beds in the center, each with a small wooden night stand beside it, one with a strange wired device atop it. There was also a large wooden dresser on the wall opposite the beds, with a strange black box on top of it. The floor creaked as they walked in.

There were small holes in the walls and stains on the light blue carpet. The air was dry and stale and smelled slightly of smoke.

"We will have to live here until we can find our way back to Middle Earth," Legolas said, "If we can."

Kili winced at the elf's last words. _If we can_. He couldn't help but feel those words were directed at him. He was the one who got them all into this mess after all, and he couldn't fathom the idea of having to live in this world forever. He didn't know if he could live with himself if that happened.

"We have to find the clues," he said, "The sorcerer… he said he would have clues for us in this place."

"Yet he didn't give you any idea what these clues would look like," Legolas shot back, "Nor did he give you any indication that he would keep his word."

Kili hung his head, "He said he would…" he offered softly as he shuffled over and sat on one of the beds. He knew Thorin must be very disappointed in him but to be called out on his error in front of everyone, by an elf, added to his guilt and shame.

"It is because you allowed yourself to be fooled so easily by this conjurer that we are in this mess," Legolas continued angrily, "We may be here for the rest of our lives and-"

"That is enough," Thorin growled, standing in between Kili and Legolas, "We must focus on surviving in this world until we find a way out. And we will find a way out. If there is a way to get here then there is surely a way to get home."

Legolas said nothing more, and an awkward silence descended upon the room. Kili kept his gaze on the floor. He felt ashamed and embarrassed, too embarrassed to look at the other faces in the room. He was grateful for Thorin defending him from Legolas, but he felt he deserved all the chastising he got.

"Hey, Brother," Fili said and Kili felt his brother sit beside him, "Let's not concern ourselves with what ifs."

Kili only nodded, finding no comfort in his brother's words. He heard Legolas mutter something in Elfish. Fili put a hand on Kili's shoulders comfortingly.

Suddenly there was a shriek and Kili jolted quickly to his feet.

"Asphodel," Bilbo exclaimed as they turned towards the small wash room just inside their room. Everyone quickly drew their weapons and Kili, the closest one to the washroom, hurried inside.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Asphodel was standing there in the center of the tiny room, her back to him.

"It was huge!" she exclaimed. Kili moved closer and peered over her shoulder to try and see what had frightened the young hobbit so much. Asphodel pointed towards the porcelain toilet, and there nestled in the corner, was a very large black rat.

"It's just a rodent, Asphie," said Brenna who had squeezed her way into the room with them, "Nothing to fear."

"I've never seen one so big!" Asphodel said in a shaky voice, "Kill it!"

Kili readied his sword and moved to kill the large rodent when Brenna quickly withdrew her knife and chucked it at the rodent, pinning it to the ground. It let out a squeal and died.

Kili and Asphodel glanced at one another in surprise as Brenna quickly disposed of the impaled rodent and retrieving her knife.

"What?" she said with a shrug at their astonished faces, "You should see the kinds of creatures live in the far north in Gnome lands."

"Hey, that's my knife," Fili exclaimed as he walked in behind them. Brenna merely rolled her eyes as she washed off the knife in the sink and stuffed it back into her cloak.

"Everything alright in here?" Bilbo asked, peeking into to the doorway, "Asphodel, are you alright?"

"Y-yes," Asphodel said, composing herself more, "I don't like rodents."

"Ah," Bilbo understood, before disappearing from the doorway again.

"Legolas is wrong, you know," Asphodel said as Kili turned and started for the door way. Kili stopped to look at her, "I don't think you are a fool."

"It's nice of you to say," Kili said, not really believing her words.

"You are not a fool," she repeated, firmly.

"Certainly not," Fili agreed and Brenna nodded in agreement, "Come, would you like to explore this strange place with me?"

Kili cheered up a bit as he saw the mischievous look in his brother's eyes. He grinned and nodded his head enthusiastically.

"We'll come along," Brenna said, not really leaving much room for debate, "I am certain you boys would benefit from our protection."

So Kili followed them towards the door of their room, stopping briefly to tell Thorin they were leaving. He was still feeling upset about his spat with Legolas, but he couldn't help but feel a certain youthful curiosity about this new world and he set off eagerly to explore it.

**Oh Fili, Kili… you are in the tenderloin… not the best place to be exploring…**

**Ahh, this has been a very difficult story to write, mainly because it's hard to describe everyday things of the modern world from a Dwarves' perspective… and its hard to think about how the Dwarves would view our world and how we might perceive them. I've been dealing with writer's block and I am kind of making the plot as I go, kind of winging it. I hope you are with me so far. Any questions or suggestions, let me know. What would you like to see out of this fan fiction?**

**Also, my mind has been churning around another fanfiction idea I had. It's a bit of a disaster fan fiction about the Dwarves getting attacked in the Blue Mountains and having to take refuge in the shire. It's based off a dream I had last night. Might be fun. It will have Asphodel and Brenna in it again, as I think all my fan fictions will. They are kind of my signature original characters. They are also characters from my original novel, if you'd like to know. Haven't named it or started it yet, but I'll keep you informed!**


End file.
